St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-04-16
EIGHT-HOUR PROBLEM
Again Comes Before the Council, But is
Postponed Without Fair
Test Vote.
Chief stetson Refuses to Reappoint a
Rival, and the Council Practically
Sustains Him.
President Mareck Names Long List
of Standing Committees for
1SS7-SS.
The Bredemus- Vogt Contest--MeaI
Inspectors to Be Examined
General Council Dofngs.

The eight-hour resolution of Aid. Gibson
was again introduced into the council yes
terday. Two years ago the same resolution
was introduced and defeated by the Repub-
licans, and one year ago it met the same
fate. but. true to his promise, Aid. Gibson
introduced it again. The resolution is as
follows:
That on and after the 1st day of May,
1887, on all public work performed by the
city of Minneapolis. and so far as is practi-
cable on all public work performed under
its direction, either by contract or other
wise, eight hours shall constitute days
labor, and that all laborers employed in
such work shall be employed by the day at
the minimum price of $1.50. That no
laborer shall be employed on the public
work performed by said city, or under its
direction, either by contract or otherwise,
who can not furnish satisfactory evidence
of his having been resident OF said city
for six months previous to the date of his
application for such employment. That in
all contracts hereafter made by the said city
for public improvements, provision shall
be inserted by which the contractor shall
agree that in all labor to be performed I'M
der such contract. eight hours shall cOnsti-
tute days labor; that $l.50 per day shall
be the lowest wages paid per day, and that
no laborer shall be employed in such work
who has not resided in said city for six
months previous to the date Of his employ
ment; that in advertising for proposals for
public work to be performed by contract,
notice shall be given of the substance of this
motion.
Aid. Dwyer and Gibson each made short
speeches in support of the resolution, eX-
,lot,, osx
put in to prevent outsiders from coming
into the city, and so that only bona tide
residents of the city should enjoy the bene-
fits. They said it was of no avail to talk,
as everybody understood it and probably
had his mind made up. 1 was part Of the
Democratic platform, and they expected
the Democrats. as heretofore. to supper it,
| Aid. Barrows said he considered this simply
robbing the people, and he did not think
| the council had any right to do it. In re-
spouse Aid. Dwyer said he believed this was
clear issue before the people, and the
elections showed the will Of the people in
that regard. He thought the defeat of GER
tain Republican aldermen was due to their
vote against this motion last year, though
! he deprecated the circulation of hand
bills against certain candidates. A
motion to refer to special committee of
eight was lost by a vote Of 81 to II. Aid.
johnson. who voted in the affirmative, eX-
planned his vote by saying he was friendly
to the cause of labor. He did not believe
the council had the right to do this thing.
1t would add one-tifth to the cost of all
manual labor and would wrong the large
bulk of taxpayers. He also thought this
would attract outside labOrerS to the city
and produce surplus that the city would
have to care for during the winter. Aid.
Morse moved an amendment to change from
eight to nine hours per day, and said he did
it in the interest of the working taxpayers.
He for one was not elected on an eight
hour platform. Aid. Dwyer was confident
all of the Democrats but one would vote
for the resolution, and ''even Judas was
found among the disciples" and he eX-
pected at least one Republican would vote
with them. A motion to postpone action
one week by Aid. Barrows was lost
by vote of 10 to Is. Aid. Morse voted in
the affirmative and Aid. SwenS0n in the
negative. At this point Aid. Mills said he
didn't know about this thing. He had had
workmen tell him they would prefer 81. rs
for ten hours work to S1.50 for eight
hours work. Aid. Cloutier spoke to the
same effect and then. after little further
discussion, the matter was referred to a
committee of one from each ward, with
instructions to report one week later. The
committee is as follows: L'Herault, Bar
rows, McArdle. Cloutler. Clark, Swenson,
Gibson, Lawrence, Kerr, Oswald, Stoft,
Parker and Nichols.